letting your cat outside for the first time

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

chanel clydesdale — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:11:00 GMT

Ditto! ;-) Cayman Rum here I come!!

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

ginny — Sun, 27 May 2012 13:43:06 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite VN,"]

I still think my comment about a large drink of alcohol is the most helpful.....

[/quote] I completely agree......

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 27 May 2012 13:03:05 GMT

I still think my comment about a large drink of alcohol is the most helpful.....

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

StMongo — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:22:20 GMT

omg...seriously? Please chill...I am officially out of this thread.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Roseann21 — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:12:47 GMT

[quote user="StMongo"]Anyway...this isn't supposed to be some stupid petty argument, so let's not turn it into one[/quote]

Pretty offensive, to suggest it's either stupid or petty.... I'm entitled to my opinion and you're entitled to yours, I couldn't live with myself if I thought my cats weren't being allowed the freedom to enjoy their lives in their natural environment. End of.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

StMongo — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:24:18 GMT

[quote user="Roseann21"]

[quote user="StMongo"]but I have seen waaay too many cats squashed by the side of the road to ever think of letting a pet of mine wander free.[/quote][quote user="StMongo"] Far too many dangers out there. Cars, other animals, evil people who like to poison random animals. [/quote]

Sounds like you've made your mind up then, so why are you asking for advice? [/quote]

I wasn't asking for any advice. I was replying to the original poster seeking advice.

We all have our opinions, and not all of us are going to agree, which is fine, though I have to say, I don't really like the supposed assumption that my cats aren't happy being indoors. They love to sit in the windows, feel the breeze, the sunshine and be in. I tried once to take them out and they freaked right out. Some animals just like some people, like inside better.

Anyway...this isn't supposed to be some stupid petty argument, so let's not turn it into one. Some say outside, some say inside, the decision is up to the original poster!

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Fuzzyduck — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:32:27 GMT

I agree with the above, i couldnt keep my cats inside, they would HATE it and be utterly miserable. Both mine have been involved in RTAs before i got them, actually the reason i got them as they were brought in as strays and the practice fixed them up, the fact they were both hit by cars has not deterred them in the slightest and both of them are very much outdoor cats.

I choose to live in a quiet street no where near a main road and hope that they will be alright as i know that if they were house cats their lives to them would not be what they choose.

If they get hurt then i hope they are not injured too badly to not be saved and both are obviously insured, as heartbreaking as it would be for me to have anything happen to them i have to think of THEM, keeping them in is only for MY benefit its not what they want.

Id rather have happy cats able to enjoy their lives to the fullest for a possibly shorter period of time than miserable cats who want something i wont let them have.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Roseann21 — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:14:51 GMT

Sounds like you've made your mind up then, so why are you asking for advice?

[quote user="StMongo"] but if we are going to start thinking about "what the cat wants", [/quote]

And you haven't thought about this before?

[quote user="StMongo"]should we even be keeping them (or any animal for that matter) as pets in the first place? [/quote]

Yes, because we can give them a better life than they would have if they were feral.... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't let them out just because WE'RE paranoid.

I don't believe cats should be kept inside, I think it's unfair. Maybe some of them don't particularly want to go out, but they should have a choice. I have purposely chosen to live in a relatively "safe" position at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac to minimise the risks, but I still think it is unnatural to keep a cat inside a house, using a litter tray and getting minimal exercise when they could do the things that cats like to do.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Emma Bartlett — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:04:00 GMT

We brought a cat over from Cyprus, my husband got him from the local sanctuary and didn't want to leave him when he was posted back to the UK. I kept him in for a couple of months which was made easier by the fact that he arrived in the UK in December and he didn't like the cold weather!! With my cats i have the rule that if we're in they can go out and if we're out they stay in, maninly becasue the Cypriot cat needs an ASBO, he goes into the neighbours houses to play with their cat toys or steal food and the neighbours are scared of him as he is so big and he growls if they try and shoo him out!!

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:58:01 GMT

For what it's worth, my old cat HATED the great outdoors. :) She'd stick her nose outside, make a note that "yep, the grass is still out there" and promptly turn her back and march back inside. (She had a hard life as a kitten - I found her on the street, two broken legs, eyes infected shut, flea riddled, huddled next to a dried out tree. I brought her home to die in peace...that was in 1995, and she apparently didn't get the memo that it was a hopeless case - she's still alive and enjoys a brisk, invigorating snooze on the radiator!)

My sister has her now - spoils her rotten! (At the time I moved to the UK we still had the 6mo quarantine and there was no way I was putting her in kennels for 6 months at 15 years old!)

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

chanel clydesdale — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:09:18 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite VN,"]

Keep a bottle of brandy (or whatever you like) handy, when he comes in have a HUGEEEE drink it will help settle your nerves.

[/quote]

Haha love it! I can't believe I can become so irrational with own when I can give the same advice i'm being given to people on a daily basis!!

I can understand both sides of this argument. The reason I keep my cat in at the moment is that I live on an extremely busy road on an island where I see mulitple cats dead on the road on a regular basis and it would break my heart to find my own out there.

My cat who is originally a stray would love to be outside again and I think it only right that I should allow him to do what only comes natural when I get him home. I will be living on a smallholding with mulitple fields and woodland areas for him to roam and the nearest busy road is a fair walk from the house hence my reasoning behind wanting to let him out.

I just want to ensure that I allow him to be outside and have the life of riley in the safest way I can possibly allow . I love him to bits and it saddens me to take him out on a leash at the moment and see he desperately wants to chase the chickens or birds flying by. (Although I think I might not be so welcoming of this is he decides to bring any 'presents' back to the house ) This just isn't an option right now but give him a few weeks and hopefully he will have settled right into country life!

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

StMongo — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:26:47 GMT

I don't think you sound harsh, but I have seen waaay too many cats squashed by the side of the road to ever think of letting a pet of mine wander free. I would feel unimaginably horrible if it happened to one of mine and there was something I could have done to prevent it. You are very lucky that your cat lived through being hurt....far too many are not so lucky. Far too many dangers out there. Cars, other animals, evil people who like to poison random animals. I care very much about keeping my pets happy, but if we are going to start thinking about "what the cat wants", should we even be keeping them (or any animal for that matter) as pets in the first place?

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Roseann21 — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:31:56 GMT

[quote user="StMongo"]

if here were my cat, I would just keep him inside. what could possibly happen to him outside on his own is not worth the risk or heartbreak! if you really want to let him out though, get a harness and take him for a walk. :)

[/quote]

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I sincerely hope you're not giving this advice to people. Do you think cats really want to live inside? Do you think it's fair? I notice from your profile that you live in Canada, maybe the advice is different, but I have to say I find what you say quite bizarre. I have had cats all my life and I have only ever had one involved in an RTA, with very minor injuries. My advice is to think about how the cat feels and what he/she enjoys, then decide what you think is best for the cat.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

StMongo — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:51:18 GMT

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Caro Laithwaite VN — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:44:21 GMT

Keep a bottle of brandy (or whatever you like) handy, when he comes in have a HUGEEEE drink it will help settle your nerves.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

chanel clydesdale — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:37:37 GMT

Thanks for your replies!

I think i'm more worried about my stress levels at the moment than his.

My main concern is he was a stray that just turned up at the doorstep of my vet clinic one day over here and we tried for weeks to trace an owner with no avail. He knows his name (trevor! hehe) and will respond to it but i know the time that he did escape he would not come back to me for love nor money but it was in the early stages of having him (he escaped by accident) and i was panicing slightly. He lived at my work for almost three months and never disappeared from there. I'm just a paranoid owner who thinks he is gonna run away and never come back. The reason I want him to go out is exactly like you say....I want him to have the life he deserves and will love. He had clearly had a rough few years when i got him, he was extremely skinny and beaten up!

I will keep you updated on his progress, he flies home 1week on friday :-D

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Lesley Stinson — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:21:44 GMT

This will be a big change for him. And a change for the better on his side. I have moved my cats in the past from a city indoor life to one of freedom in the country.

I kept them inside for 6-8 weeks and this depended on the individual cats needs. They were all use to being called by their name's so would come when called. This is very important because they listen to you.

I started by bringing inside a little of the outside such as grass,flowers, twigs,leaves and even some soil. This helped them to become familiar with the out door smells.

I started with one cat at a time. I carried them to the door and while still holding them i let them sniff all around the door to familiarise themselves with the scent. I did this for about 5 minutes and then back inside and gave them a treat. This was to let them know that inside was food and comfort. I repeated this up to 5-8 times a day abd for up to a week. I would let them stand on the ground and on the grass but all the time holding them.

When it came time for them to start exploring i would bring them out before breakfast and place them down while still standing beside them. They would have a little walk around and i was constantly talking to them and after 5 minutes or so i would call them in for breakfast. If they started to get over interested in something i would call them to refocus them back to me. I gradually increased the lenght of time outside and they gradually increased the distance.

It is import to say as well that i would only bring them out when it was quiet and there was no big distractions going on for them or me.

My cats now enjoy the country life but happily stay inside while i am out and they have the freedom while i am there. But the truth is they loved to go out and roam but usually after 20-30 minutes they are back inside with me. If i go out for a walk across the fields with the dogs they come with me and will follow me around the farm very happily but tend to stick close to home when i am inside.

best of luck but you have to remain calm while doing this as he will pick up on your nervousness and he will not focus on you otherwise.

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Fuzzyduck — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:14:12 GMT

I always recommend a minimum of 6 weeks and then let him out initially when he is hungry, once he is used to coming back then you can start letting him out for longer

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

Mark Hedberg — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:37:46 GMT

I would suggest keeping your cat in for a minimum of one month; the new place needs time to let the scent sink properly in, and let the smells from outside become familiar. (Nobody has an airtight house, you'll always smell a bit of outside air.) This is a cast-iron minimum, no matter how much they beg. After that you can start letting them out, under supervision, if possible. Moving house is a big step for a cat!

Good luck!

Re: letting your cat outside for the first time

chanel clydesdale — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:32:16 GMT

p.s the last time he did get out, he went roaming for about 4 hours before returning, in this time I ended up roaming the streets looking for him to come back and find him on my doorstep!!